[mikev]

Pitching Preview, 2010 Edition

Heading into the 2010 season, California's pitching staff boasts one of the strongest 1-2 punches in the GUBA. The rotation is rounded out by a few youngsters, but could prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the MBBA Pacific this season. Along with a highly talented yet fairly unheralded bullpen, the Crusaders are expecting that their pitching will be enough to get them past the Los Angeles Quakes and into the postseason for the first time in 2010.

Starting Rotation

1. Henry McHaney, RHP
2009: 21-8, 1.78, 237.2 IP, 207K, 0.90 WHIP, 84.5 VORP

I think you may have heard of this guy. After a shaky 10-start 2007 and a solid if unspectacular 2008, McHaney put together what was probably the most dominant season by a starting pitcher the GUBA has seen so far. It's not likely that he'll replicate his out of this world numbers from last season, but he is a bona fide ace and one of the top pitchers in the league.

2. Jorge Enriquez, RHP
2009: 10-6, 2.91, 160.2 IP, 138K, 1.16 WHIP, 35.8 VORP

Enriquez would be the staff ace on a majority of teams in the league. He's more of a 1a than a 2, and as stated previously he goes with McHaney to make what might be the best 1-2 in baseball. They're in the discussion at least.

3. Masahiko "Griz" Hayagawa, RHP
2009: 17-7, 3.07, 205.1 IP, 170K, 1.11 WHIP, 42.0 VORP

After a poor 2008 campaign which saw Griz actually pulled from the Crusaders rotation for a short time, the soft-tossing Hayagawa came back in 2009 and had an amazing year. The Japan native set career bests in strikeouts, innings pitched, wins, and VORP. At age 28, he's the old man of the starting rotation, and the other starters regularly give him a hard time and ask him what it was like to play alongside Sadaharo Oh.

4. Arturo "Big Time" Fernandez, RHP
2009 (AAA): 13-3, 1.90, 147 IP, 96K, 1.03 WHIP, 45.5 VORP

Fernandez, the former 3rd overall pick, suffered a torn tricep muscle that affected him fairly signifigantly. The 8-month layoff was enough to erode his talents from "Hall of Fame lock" caliber to "innings eating 3rd or 4th starter" status. Still, the 23 year old has proven that he's returned from his injury, is healthy, and ready to contribute to the Crusaders.

5. Chadili "Six Pack" Tengelei, RHP
2009: 10-15, 5.33, 187.1 IP, 128K, 1.49 WHIP, -1.3 VORP

Tengelei, aquired from Warsaw in the Jeff Ladner trade, will round out the California starting staff. Crusaders team scouts feel that the gigantic (6'5, 235lb) South African is signifigantly better than his numbers from 2009 suggest, and aquiring him in the deal was equally as important as centerfielder Takahashi was. Tengelei can touch 93 with his fastball, gets more groundballs (55%) than flyballs, and has the endurance to go 9 innings. We think that he's a lot closer to the 2008 version of himself than last season (4.02 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). If we can get that out of our fifth starter, we'll be doing just fine.

The Bullpen

CL Hsin-ta Jin, LHP
2009: 2-0, 3.05, 59 IP, 53K, 1.17 WHIP, 11.9 VORP

Jin returns to the closing role to begin the 2009 season. Signed through 2011, there have been some whispers around the clubhouse that giving the left handed flamethrower the closer job is a move meant to showcase him for a possible trade later in the season, but so far the front office has maintained that he won't be moved.

SU Luis "Beast Of Burden" Vargas, RHP
2009: 5-2, 1.80, 35 IP, 19K, 1.31 WHIP, 12.4 VORP

Vargas, an 18 year old phenom who burst onto the GUBA scene last season as a 17 year old, did nothing if not hold his own at an age when most kids are still trying to figure out if they want to go to college or not. Needless to say, Vargas is basically penciled is as the closer of the future, but for now the youngster is content with pitching dominant 8th innings and handing the ball over to Jin.

SU Angel "Dog" Sandoval, RHP
2009: 8-3, 5.28, 58 IP, 32K, 1.21 WHIP, -3.1 VORP

The 21 year old Sandoval had a bit of a rough inaguration to the GUBA in 2009, and likely should have spent some time in AAA. However, the team felt that the rest of the bullpen was talented enough that Sandoval could learn on the fly, and expectations for the immensely talented Mexican are very high for 2010.

MR Jesus Diaz, RHP
2009: 9-4, 2.30, 97.2 IP, 79K, 1.24 WHIP, 28.7 VORP

Diaz, quietly one of the better relievers in the MBBA in 2009, is exactly what the Crusaders need to bridge the gap between the starters and the Jin/Vargas/Sandoval three headed monster. He's got the endurance to go multiple innings, keeps the ball in the park (4 career HR in 241.1 IP), and doesn't complain about his role on the team. As expected, Diaz will continue to take the ball when needed and not complain one bit.

MR Lorenzo Diaz, RHP
2009: 8-3, 3.90, 64.2 IP, 46K, 1.44 WHIP, 6.9 VORP

Once a promising starter expected to spend the better part of his career in the California rotation, a fractured elbow during 2008 knocked Diaz' talent level down to that of a spot starter and mopup relief role. His job on the pitching staff will be to soak up the junk innings in blowouts, where high-leverage guys will be able to rest their arms.

MR Matt Albury, RHP
2009: 7-7, 3.75, 120 IP, 99K, 1.38 WHIP, 15.0 VORP

The Australian youngster returns for his first full season in the GUBA, after spending some time in the rotation and some time in the bullpen last season he's primarily a 6th starter and long reliever for the 2010 season. He's probably been pitching over his head for two years, but we're not going to complain if he continues to do so.

MR Juan Davila, RHP
2009: 9-9, 4.15, 178 IP, 79K, 1.36 WHIP, 15.9 VORP

The 36 year old Davila was offered a 2 year extension, essentially as insurance in case one of the starting staff goes down with long term injury. It's likely that his playing time will be slim, but he was content with being a part of the team and lending a helping hand to all the young pitchers on the team.